Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I have worked with a lot of professionals at all points of their careers. Some exceeding all expectations and others just getting by on their effort. Along the way I've formed a few thoughts about who is authentic and who is not. That the basis of the list below. What I hope for is to work with professionals that know how to bring it -- and not endure people that are winging it.

People who bring it don’t worry about anything. They have truly done everything they can do, so worrying is a complete waste of time. People who just wing it constantly wonder what they could have done better, or what they need to do tomorrow to make up for today’s shortcomings.

People who bring it may be scratched, beat up, bruised, or bleeding, but they go to bed knowing that they truly fought their best fight, and they are at peace as a result. People who just wing it are masters at coming up with reasons (excuses) for why they didn’t make an all out effort.

People who bring it live up to their personal integrity every single day, even if it means a lack of security, or if it means taking a risk. People who just wing it always take the safe route, and they die just a little bit inside each time they give up what they truly want in order to settle for what they believe they can have.

People who bring it realize that every 60 seconds of their life is another 60 seconds that they can take action towards their goals. People who just wing it always have reasons (excuses) for why they haven’t yet finished a project, or accomplished a goal.

People who bring it understand that their position of power is something that they create internally, and that it has nothing to do with the outside circumstances. People who just wing it can always justify their willingness to give up control of their lives with lots of “real world” reasons for why it’s all out of their hands.

People who bring it also know that they are bringing it, and even if they live in a cardboard box, their cardboard box is the best one on the block because it was built with confidence and pride, not lack and despair. People who just wing it are well aware of the fact that they are winging it, and no matter how successful or unsuccessful they are, the voice in the back of their mind never stops reminding them that their life isn’t what it could be. They are also quite proficient at ignoring that voice.